Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-23

MY Yeas GAk t4|L IL tus4LEc L'2l l.
you'd have been Witd0u! .he Icc5Jce
platform.
Irej ice in the p3puiariz4tica OF cu.-
door sports. l hail the crcqTa. groGa1
and the fshermaD's ROD I'd tho sport
mans gun. In our cities life is so IN
healthy and unnatural that Waea me cen
sus taker represents q city as having
400, 600 inh&bi!ants, there ere only 2G0,
600, slice it takes e. least tyy1 men to
amount to one man, SO depicting and IN
GeTvi1S ard eXbausting is this metrOp0L-
tan lie. We want more fresh air, more
sunlight, more Of the abaniOn Of field
sports. CIV CUt for it in behalf OF the
cnurch OF God IS well IS in behalf Of
secular interests. l wish that this winter
our ponds ana our rivers snd cur Cspi-
toIlne grounds might be all equske with
the heel and the shout OF the swift skater
| wish when the warm weather comes,
the graceful oar might dip the stream,
and the eyening-tite be resCnsut with
boatman's song, the bright Prov splitting
the crystalline billOW. We shall have the
smooth and grassy lawn, and we will call
out people of all occupations and pro-
fessions, sud ask them to join in the ball
players sport. You will come back from
these outdoor exercises and recreations
with strength in your arm, and color in
your cheek, Snd q
FLASH IN YOUR EYE,
and courage II your heart. In this great
bsttle that is opening against the king
dom OF darkness We want not only con-
secrated soul, but 6 strong arm and stou5
lungs and mighty muscle. l bless God
thst there are SO many recres tons thst
hnyY r,N+o 49,
recreGtions ii which we nsy engage for
the strengthening OF the body, for the
clearing OF the Intellect, for the iil1mina-
ton OF the soul.
There is still sDot8er form Of recrea-
ton which I commend 10 you, and that
is the pleasure Of doing good. l have
seen young men, Weak and cross and sour
and repeihpg in their disposition, VINO
by one heavenly touch have Weakened up
and become blessed and buoyant, the
ground under taelr feet AID the sky over
their heads breaking forth into music.
"Oh," GAYS some young mbn in the house
to-day, ''I should like that recreation
shove all others, but l have not the
means" My dear brother. LEI Us take
an account Of stock this morning. You
have large estate, If you Only retl;Z9 it.
L VIZ HZuOS, 1 wv kGSG, 1OC WILL nave,
perhaps, during the next year at least $40
for charitable contribution. You will
have 2500 cheerful locks, if you want to
employ thea. You will have 5000 pIess-
ant words, il you want TO speak them.
Now what an amount that is to start
with!
You go out tomorrow morning AMI
you see case OF real destitution by the
way-side. You give him > cents. The
blind msn hesrs the pennies Tat,l in his
hat, and ne SAYS: "rhsDk you, Sir; God
bless you" You pass down the street.
trying to look indiferently; bat you feel
from the very depth OF your soul E pro-
found satisfaction that you made inst
man happy. You go on still farther, aEd
fad & poor boy With wheelbarrOw, try
ing to get il up on the curbstone' He
fails in the attempt. You, say, "Stand
back, my lad; let me try" You push 1t
up on the curbst0ue for him, and pass
on. He wonders who that we'll dressed
man WIS that helped him. You did g
kindness TO the boy, but you did q great
Joy TO your Own soul. You will lot get
over it al the week.
On the street, to -morrcw morning, yCu
will see sick mar passing along. "Ah,n
you say, "what can l do to make this
man happy? He certainly does not want
money; ne is not poor, but he is sick. :"
Give him one OF those twenty-five hun
dred cheerful locks that you have gar
nered up for the whole year. Look Joy
and hopefulness into his soul. Il Will
thrill him through, and there will be g
reaction upon your own soul. Going g
little farther on, you will come to the
store Of a friend VINO is embarrassed III
business masters. You will go in and
say, "What fire store you have!
think business will brighten up, and you
will have more custom after while. |
think there is coming great prosperity
to all the country. Good mornlRg."
You pass out. You have helped
that young man, and you have
helped yourself And that night you go
home; you sit by the fire, you talk lit
tie, you sing little, you laugh 3 little;
you say, I" L really don't kGow what is
the matter with me. L never felt SO
splendidly II my life" I viii tell
WHAT is THE MATTER WITH YOU.
You spent only 2 cents out Of the $40;
you have contributed one out OF
$500 cheerful looks; you have given ten,
fifteen CT twenty OF the 5000 pleasant
words you are going to speak during the
year; you have with your own hands
helped the boy with the wheelbarroW,
aud you feel in body, mind snd soul the
thrill of that recreation. Which do you
think was the hnppieT-CoIonel Gardiner,
who sat with his elbow On table spread
with oil extravaganza vIands, looking CT
st a dog on the rug, saying, Chow l
would like to change places with him; I
be the dog and he DE Colonel Gardiner"
or those two Moravian missionaries VINO
wanted to 60 into the lszaretto for the
sake Of attending the sick, and they were
told, "If you go in there, you
will never come out. We never allow any
one to come out, for he would bring the
contagion." Then they msde their wills
and went in, first to help the sick, and
then to die. Which WAS the hsppier,
Colonel Gardiner, or the Morsvian mis-
sionsries dying for others? Wss it all
sacrifice when the missionaries wanted TO
bring the gospel to the negroes at the
Barbados, snd being denied the priyi
lege, sold themselves into slavery, stand
ing side by side, and lying side by side
down in the very ditch CT suffering in
order that they might bring those men 10
to life and God and heaven? On, there is
a thrill in the Joy of doing good! 1t is
the most magnificent recreation to which
q man ever puts his hand or his head
or his heart.
But, before closing l want TO impress
upon you that mere secular entertain
o,fd Dof 6afi